WEBVTT WE INVESTIGATE REPORTER GREG FOX, BREAKS DOWN THE SURPRISINGCRASH NUMBERS.GREG: AS YOU DRIVE BY UNIVERSALON I-4, VOLCANO BAY, LOOMING 200FEET IN THE AIR IS THE SIGNATUREATTRACTION.THE WATER PARK IS ONE OF THECLOSEST ATTRACTIONS TO THEINTERSTATE.IS IT TOO BIG OR TOO CLOSE FORDRIVER SAFETY?YOU'D BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND ASINGLE TOURIST WHO'LL ADMIT TOBEING DISTRACTED BY IT.>> I LOOK AT IT, BUT IT DIDN'TREALLY DISTRACT ME.I JUST KEPT ON DRIVING.GREG: AS YOU SEE THESE THINGSDOES IT DRAW YOUR EYES OFF THEROAD AS YOU'RE DRIVING?>> I HAVEN'T FOUND SO -- YEAH,AND I HAVE BEEN HERE TWO DAYS.GREG: BUT OUR WESH 2 NEWSEXAMINATION OF CRASH DATA INTHAT AREA, SHOWS A SUBSTANTIALINCREASE SINCE THE WATER PARKBEGAN TAKING SHAPE.THIS IS THE STRETCH BETWEENKIRKMAN AND SAND LAKE ROADS.FROM NOVEMBER 1, 2015 TO MAY 16,2016 THERE WERE 31 CRASHES AND12 INJURIES.IN THE SAME TIME FRAME A YEARLATER, BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1 OFLAST YEAR THROUGH TUESDAY OFTHIS WEEK, THERE WERE 48CRASHES, UP 53%, AND 31 TOTALINJURIES, UP 158%.>> ANYTIME YOU HAVE A STRUCTURETHAT'S VERY APPEALING AND VERYLARGE, IT CAN DISTRACT DRIVERS,BECAUSE OF COURSE THEY ARE GOINGTO TURN THEIR HEADS TO LOOK ATIT.GREG: THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROLPOINTS OUT, THEY'VE SEENINCREASES IN CRASHES WITH THEADDITION OF OTHER TALLATTRACTIONS AS WELL.OUR RESEARCH INTO CRASH DATA THEYEAR BEFORE AND THE YEAR THEORLANDO EYE OPENED, CRASHES ONTHAT SECTION OF I-4 MORE THANDOUBLED.>> IT ABSOLUTELY CAN BE ADISTRACTION IF DRIVERS KEEPFOCUSING ON LOOKING AT THAT.INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THEROADWAY.GREG: CRASH DATA SHOW A TREND ASATTRACTIONS OPEN AND DRIVERS GETUSED TO SEEING THEM, THEINCIDENTS OF CRASHES TEND TO GODOWN.IN ORLANDO, GREG FOX, WESH 2NEWS.>> A UNIVERSAL STUDIO SPOKESMANTOLD US THE SAFETY OF THOSE INAND AROUND OUR DESTINATION WILLALWAYS BE OUR MOST IMPORTANTPRIORITY.WE HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIPWITH STATE AND LOCALTRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS BUTTHIS ISSUE HAS NEVER COME UP.BEYOND THAT, IT IS WORTH NOTINGTHAT THIS AREA OF I-4 HAS LONG

A woman visiting from England told WESH 2 News, "I haven't found it or any attractions to be distracting, and I have been here two days."

WESH 2 News examined crash data in that area and found that it shows a substantial increase since the water park began taking shape. It’s the stretch between Kirkman and Sand Lake roads.

From Nov. 1, 2015, to May 16, 2016, there were 31 crashes and 12 injuries. In the same time frame a year later, between Nov. 1 of last year through Tuesday of this week, there were 48 crashes, up 53 percent and 31 total injuries, up 158 percent.

Sgt. Kim Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol, which responds to crashes on the interstate, said, "Anytime you have a structure that's very appealing and very large, it can distract drivers because of course they are going to turn their heads to look at it."

FHP pointed out that troopers have seen increases in crashes with the addition of other tall attractions. WESH 2 News did some research into crash data the year before and the year after the Orlando Eye opened. Research shows the number of crashes increased on that same section of I-4 by more than double.

"It (big attractions) absolutely can be a distraction if drivers keep focusing on looking at that," Montes said.

Universal Studios spokesman Tom Schroder told WESH 2 News, "The safety of those within and around our destination will always be our most important priority. We have a strong relationship with state and local transportation officials, but this issue has never come up."

Schroder also pointed out that I-4 Ultimate construction is especially heavy along that section of the interstate and has been for two years.

"It is worth noting that this area of I-4 has long been a very active highway construction zone," Schroder said.

Crash data is showing a trend: As attractions open and drivers get used to seeing them, the incidence of crashes tends to go down.